Tamaqua Enacts Home Smoke-detector Regulation

April 03, 1985|The Morning Call

Tamaqua Borough Council adopted a smoke-detector ordinance at last night's meeting.

The new ordinance will require all home and apartmentowners to install smoke detectors in their properties. Landlords who do not install smoke detectors under the new regulations will face fines of $100 to $300.

The fire chief is authorized to inspect a home only after he had received a written complaint.

At last month's meeting, council added an amendment after it received numerous complaints from borough residents that they favored the ordinance requiring smoke detectors but that they felt allowing the fire chief walk into their homes without notice was an invasion of privacy.

In other business, council said it will send letters today to Conrail and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation requesting them to work around the clock while installing a rubber surface crossing on Broad Street.

Council said it will take five days to complete the job. But they would like to have it completed sooner because of rerouting of traffic onto Spruce Street.

A similar installation at the railroad's Center Street (Route 309) crossing was made in three days in August 1980 with work done around-the- clock.

Council received a request from the Tamaqua Public Library for $3,000 to pay for repairs made to the lighting system.

The request was not accepted by council because it has not received bills for the work done. They said a donation up to $3,000 would be given to the library providing it presented the bill to council.

Council told borough manager Donald Matalavage to get the bills from the library and bring them back to the next council meeting.